Arch Manning received his most extended playing time when replacing an injured Quinn Ewers on Saturday. Paul Finebaum must have loved what he saw from the Texas backup quarterback.
The Longhorns offense didn’t slow down when Ewers exited their Week 3 matchup with an oblique strain. Manning instead led them to a 56-7 blowout win over UTEP.
The highly touted sophomore amassed 223 passing yards and four touchdowns on just a dozen passes. He also displayed far more speed than his uncles on a 67-yard touchdown run.
Following that sensational performance, Finebaum said it’s only a matter of time before Manning proves himself to be the best player in college football. The ESPN analyst predicted on Sunday morning’s SportsCenter that Manning will become the first member of his family to receive the Heisman Trophy.
“Book it. Arch Manning is going to win the Heisman. I am in on that,” Finebaum declared, via Awful Announcing. “By the way, his granddad and Peyton probably should have won it, and Arch will. Can you imagine? He’s replacing a Heisman favorite right now. I don’t know if he’ll win it this year, but Arch Manning will definitely win the Heisman at Texas.”
Of course, that won’t happen this year if a healthy Ewers sends Manning back to the bench. Finebaum doesn’t anticipate head coach Steve Sarkisian switching his starter if Ewers is cleared, but he believes Texas is a title contender with either quarterback under center.
“I think he is equal to Quinn Ewers in terms of what he can do … I don’t think it really matters who the quarterback is in Austin,” Finebaum said. “They’re a really outstanding team. They’ll probably be the No. 1 team in the country by the end of this day.”
The Longhorns quarterback situation is certainly worth monitoring ahead of next Saturday’s game against Louisiana–Monroe.
Related: Texas Starting QB Quinn Ewers Injured, Replaced By Arch Manning